Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

In week 4, we are continuing to examine organizations and agencies that work with or for the field of Early Childhood Education. Previously, we had to focus on local and state wide agencies and organizations related to the field of ECE. This week, we need to move towards researching national and federal ECE organizations and agencies we would be interested in.

Two national organizations I decided to focus on this week are heavily involved in the field of Early Childhood Education are the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and  Zero to Three. First, the NAEYC is the organization which provides the guidelines, codes and standards by which all ECE programs and facilities should be operated. This organization supports all ECE organizations and programs, including Head Start, small daycare centers, public school programs, etc. This organization has many core values and beliefs in which it firmly honors, as well. For instance, the NAEYC Core Values include appreciating "childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle" as well as "the bond between the child and family" while the Core Beliefs include "excellence and innovation, transparency, reflection, equity and opportunity, and collaborative relationships" (National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], n.d., p. 1 para. 4-5). The NAEYC has several job opportunities posted for their organization in Washington, D.C. on their website, as well as a portal to find positions they are affiliates for throughout our country. While I was not qualified or necessarily interested in the NAEYC direct positions, I did find several openings posted for affiliated programs throughout the country for Family Advocates, Directors of ECE programs, and ECE Advocates/Professors at the college level. Once again I would gravitate toward the Family Advocate or Director position, in which you would need strong communication skills, proper education and training, and experience working with children and families in ECE.

The second organization, Zero to Three, is an organization I had learned about in previous courses in my Master's Degree program at Walden University. As stated on their website, "ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals, and policymakers the knowledge and the know-how to nurture early development" (Zero to Three, 2014, p. 1 para. 1). This organization has provided a wealth of information and support for educators and families in regards to the importance of development and effective ECE programs. It is a wonderful organization and I was very interested to see what opportunities they had available. After researching their site, the position available that I found most interesting was the Community Coordinator position. As stated on the posting, "The Community Coordinator facilitates coordination and collaboration among community stakeholders on the New Haven and Milford Teams, serves as a bridge builder across the many disciplines involved with infants and toddlers in foster care, schedules Team meetings, and conducts follow-up activities related to Team goals" (Zero to Three, 2014, p. 1 para. 1). This is something I would be highly interested in as it allows active community involvement in the ECE programs and field overall. It would require communication skills, experience in the field, and the proper experience and certifications, once again. 

Thirdly, an international organization that is based out of the United States that I follow and contribute to is Save the Children. This organization works to help children worldwide to be safe and get an education. "Save the Children invests in childhood - every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. By transforming children's lives  now, we change the course of their future and ours" (Save the Children, 2015, p. 1 para. 1). In prior courses, I have researched this organization and have become very interested in their work. I follow them on social media and through news articles via e-mail. I have contributed through donations of school supplies mailed from my students and I to a country of children in need, as well as monetary donations. I explored the career section of their website to find job opportunities currently available. Of the multitude of positions available throughout the United States sector, the ones that stood out the most were teacher, director, and child protection specialist or coordinator positions. These positions would require experience and education in working with children and families, as well as child development. I believe the background knowledge I currently have would allow me to fulfill such a position. This organization is one in which I am extremely interested in working with in some capacity moving forward. 

Having the opportunity to research these organizations in the Early Childhood field and consider potential job opportunities is a great way to envision what I could do in the future with Early Childhood Education upon receiving my Master's Degree!



References:

National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC]. (n.d.). Our mission and strategic direction. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/mission.

Save the Children. (2015). Who we are - Save the children. Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6146355/k.24E9/Who_We_Are.htm.

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2014). Zero to three: About Us. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/.

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2014). Job Posting. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/careers/jobs/community-coordinator-for-ct-court-teams.pdf.